


What Would Big Brother Think?

by itsalwaysanthea



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-10
Updated: 2014-03-27
Packaged: 2018-01-10 22:01:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1165052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsalwaysanthea/pseuds/itsalwaysanthea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I've sort of got a thing for Sherthea with little explanation as to when I started shipping it. And I decided to take it into my own hands to make up for the lack of it in the world.</p>
    </blockquote>





	1. Sudden Realization

**Author's Note:**

> I've sort of got a thing for Sherthea with little explanation as to when I started shipping it. And I decided to take it into my own hands to make up for the lack of it in the world.

Rides in the silent backseat of a luxury car were frequent occurrences. It wasn't very often that Sherlock felt the need to engage in conversation with his brother's assistant. He was always aware of why she was there to pick him up. If it wasn't another threat about staying off the drugs, it was the elder Holmes attempting to get him to assist on some case that was hardly above a four on his scale. It was easier on the both of them if neither of them spoke. It saved Sherlock from listening to things he didn't want to hear and spared Anthea of deductions she didn't care much for. By now, Sherlock likely new most of her life story and she really didn't care to have it recounted to her in a condescending tone. 

The tapping of manicured fingers against the keyboard of a Blackberry was the only sound besides those of the traffic that surrounded them. Business as usual, really. Pick Sherlock up, force him to speak with Mycroft, take him back to Baker Street. It was an almost endless cycle seeing as the younger refused to come willingly when asked. Childish but it was the routine that they had fallen in to. She didn't mind, really. It was better than sitting at her desk. 

"This is pointless," he huffed suddenly. "I don't need to be picked up like some child."

"He doesn't trust you," Anthea said simply. "If you agree to come on your own terms there's no guarantee that you won't show up high or with some incentive of your own. This way he has control over the situation."

"And why is it always you who picks? Surely he has other employees that are just as capable," his tone made his words almost a challenge as a smirk snaked its way across his features. 

Instead of giving a reply, Anthea simply shrugged and returned her focus to her mobile. There was no point in engaging in his mind games. They were almost at their destination then he would no longer be her problem until he was needed again. Though, he wasn't as much of a problem as he had been when they first met. That had been a dark time in the lives of the Holmes boys and from what little she saw, it was obviously the cause of the elder's constant concern with the events in his brother's life. The PA new better than to ask about the events that lead up to Sherlock's drug use. All she knew was that it was one of her employer's greater worries. 

Once at the Diogenes Club, they went their separate ways. He to where his brother was and she off somewhere to get a cup of tea. These meetings never lasted very long. One of the Holmes boys always managed to upset the other to a point where one stormed out of the room. Usually it was the younger. She already had a car waiting for when the slam of a door would signal that it was time to return Sherlock. 

Silence settled over them once more, this one much heavier than the last. Never would she ask what they had dicsussed that put them in such sour moods, no matter how curious she was. It wasn't her place to ask about what could have easily been private matters between her employer and his brother. That and she always worried that getting Sherlock started would only end up being a bad decision. 

“He worries you know,” she said softly, voice barely above a whisper. 

“Do kindly tell him to stop,” he retorted before pulling his mobile from his pocket and ignoring her completely.

Those few brief words were the only verbal exchange between the two of them. Once the car stopped outside of 221B Baker Street, Anthea simply gave a nod and a half smile as the dectective slid out of the vehicle and shut the door with more force than was absolutely necessary. 

She let out a long sigh the moment she was alone. The return trip back to the office didn't seem near as drawn out as the ride to Baker Street. There was a comfortable silence in the back seat of the car now that the tension between herself and the younger Holmes had cleared with his getting out. But she couldn't allow herself to relax completely. She knew that the moment she was back at the office, Mycroft would have questions about his brother. And though she wouldn't have much to say about this particular experience, a few answers were far better than none at all. 

Mycroft barely allowed her to get through the door before approaching her. He was still tense. She had rather hoped that he would have had time to cool down from the rather heated argument that lead to Sherlock being sent home. Obviously she had thought wrong but it wasn't anything that a cup of tea couldn't help. If only slightly. 

“I know you're going to ask if he said something,” she said politely before ducking into the office's kitchen to turn the kettle on. She hoped more than expected that he would follow. 

When they were both seated at his desk with a cup of tea in hand, she recounted to conversation, if it could even be called that, that occurred between Sherlock and herself. It wasn't anything alarming. Nothing that would be considered questionable behavior. Sherlock often left the office in a rather sour mood. They didn't have any reasons to raise his surveillance status. It was a good day if they didn't have to discuss reinstalling cameras in his flat. Not that they ever lasted long after being installed. 

They discussed future plans for keeping the younger Holmes in line before going back to their work. While she knew that she shouldn't, she let her thoughts wonder off to Sherlock. Specifically how someone so brilliant could do such careless things. What in his past could have caused him to become the man Mycroft feared his brother would one day return to being. It wasn't her place to worry about Sherlock. Mycroft did that enough for the both of them. And yet she couldn't help but wonder if there was some way she could help him through the world he thought he had to face on his own.

Even after returning home, she couldn't seem to shake the thoughts from her head. It was odd finding her mind preoccupied with ideas on how she could help Sherlock. He would laugh at her if she even tried to voice any of her concerns. But perhaps he just needed someone who was silling to give him a chance. _No, no that's a foolish idea_. Sherlock Holmes didn't need anyone. He never needed anyone. Especially not his brother's secretary to try and fix him. As silly of a thought as it might have been, Anthea wanted to try and at least give him someone to turn to when things got to be more than he could handle. God himself only knew what sort of the things the detective kept bottled up. Maybe it wasn't such a terrible idea after all.


	2. A sort of confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And while she still would never force him to tell her anything, this time she was going to offer some sort of comfort.

It was a month later when Sherlock was more or less forced to come into the office. This time the air between the Holmes boys were far more hostile that usual. She had been intending to talk with the younger, but swiftly decided against it for fear of saying something that might set him off. Honestly, she hardly understood how to start a conversation with Sherlock when he wasn't upset yet alone how to say something that would help put him in a better mood. It was a bit of a relief, really. She still wasn't quite sure how she was going to go about offering to be a friend to the younger Holmes.

Anthea sat silently at her desk, doing her best to ignore the louder than necessary conversation going on in her boss's office. Whatever it was that Mycroft wanted his brother to do, the younger did not seem very pleased with the idea of being expected to do it. It was one of those rare times where she wasn't bold enough to interrupt simply for the sake of giving both of them men a distraction.

The ride back to Baker Street held an even heavier silence than any time before. The younger Holmes looked as if he were capable of anything in a moment's notice and Anthea was actually afraid of what he could do in the confined space of the car. She didn't want to say anything to anger him further but curiosity would eventually get the better of her.

“Why are you two so.....unable to be civil for even a few minutes?” she asked timidly.

Sherlock snorted before turning to look at her. “You spend more time around him than anyone else. Surely you see how infuriating he is.”

“He's only that way with you,” she said softly. “He worries about you, Sherlock. Worries that your destructive habits will be what costs him his little brother. If you could take a moment to stop being so selfish and see that there are actually people concerned about your health and safety you would understand why he does the things that he does when it comes to you.”

That got her a snort and nothing more. It was expected, seeing how the PA was more or less speaking out of line. The private affairs between Sherlock and Mycroft were hardly any of her concern. But she was dedicated to her work and in one way or another Sherlock was involved in her work. Even if it was just watching him through the CCTV cameras. The elder Holmes took what he could when it came to making sure that the younger wasn't doing anything potentially dangerous without means of getting out of it.

The car came to a hault but she wasn't about to let Sherlock go a second time with so many words left unsaid still rattling around inside of her head. She wasn't stupid, she could tell that something in the consulting detective's life had caused him to become cold. And while she still would never force him to tell her anything, this time she was going to offer some sort of comfort.

“Sherlock,” she said before taking a pause to put her words together carefully. “You don't always have to be alone, you know. There are people who worry about you, who care without having any reason to. Mycroft is concerned about you and what you do because of the family ties that bring you together. I on the other hand have no such reason to genuine care about your well being.”

For a moment, it appeared that the man didn't know how to react. But he dismissed her words with a simple shrug before stepping out of the cab and heading into the building. It was the reaction she had been expecting from the very start. No thank you, no smile, no sign of caring. That was simply the Sherlock she knew. But made her feel better to have finally brought it to the man's attention that his brother wasn't the only one ridiculously concerned about him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I don't know how when I will next update but hopefully it will be before too long.


	3. A Bold Move

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Letting out a huff of air, she pulled out her mobile and texted the one contact she had yet to ever click on.

With her heavy work schedule, Anthea didn't have much time to think about her growing curiosity towards Sherlock. That might have been the advantage of working as much as she did. It prevented her from becoming fixated on the fact that she was being drawn towards the younger Holmes. Oh how Mycroft would be thoroughly unhappy if he were to know about this fondness.

More and more frequently, she found herself being the one to offer to watch over the detective through the CCTV cameras. It wasn't even part of her job to do that. But any insight on his life was something that she craved. Anything to explain to her just what made Sherlock behave the way that he did. Many hours were spent looking over the footage and reading through old information in his file. Nothing really gave her anything that she wasn't already aware of.

The longer she thought about it, the more she wanted to simply ask one of them just what happened. The only conclusion she could come up on was that it had something to do with Mycroft or their family in general. Sherlock acted far colder around his brother than anyone else. There was an obvious bittnerness between them; one that she never had the courage to ask about. But now, she couldn't take not knowing. After all those years of working so close to Mycrof, they ought to be on a personal enough level for her to be able to ask such a thing without too much of a consequence.

It was on a day where neither of them had much to focus on that she entered her employer's office. By now, she didn't even need to knock anymore he always knew it was her. With a silent sigh, she sat in one of the chairs in front of his desk. For a moment she hesitated, debating whether or not she should just get back up and leave. But in the end, her stubbornness won and she met Mycroft's gaze.

“Can I ask you something,” she started, voice calm and smooth. “About your relationship with your brother?”

Mycroft blinked twice before raising an eyebrow. “You've never seemed concerned about it before, Anthea,” he pointed out. “Sherlock and I are more alike than either of us want to admit. Our issues run deeper than I care to go into detail about.”

With a nod of her head, Anthea knew that was all that she was going to get. It wasn't as if she was expecting him to open up to her anyway. But it was worth a try. At least now, she understood more about why Sherlock was always in such a sour mood when it came to seeing Mycroft. With that, she stood and exited the office. Back at her desk she came to the conclusion that the only way to get to understand Sherlock Holmes was to get to know him.

That was going to be the hardest part, she was positive of it. The younger Holmes let very few people know him on a personal level. It was still a surprise that John hadn't left yet. It wouldn't be the easiest thing that she had ever done. But they say that nothing in life that is worth while ever is. She simply had to figure out a way to go about it without making it seem as though she was doing this all for Mycroft. Gaining Sherlock's trust was going to be difficult for the sole factor of whom she worked for. As long as she made her intentions clear from the beginning, it might not take a turn for the worse.

Letting out a huff of air, she pulled out her mobile and texted the one contact she had yet to ever click on.

_Meet me for tea? A_

_Is this my brother's new tactic to get me to take his cases? SH_

_No. Can I not invite you to tea without it being about your brother? A_

When she didn't get a second reply, she sent him the address of the cafe and what time she would be there with hope that he would show up. There was a doubt in her mind that he wasn't going to, but she pushed it aside. She didn't want negativity to get her down. Especially since there was still an hour until the meeting time she had given him.

The table she sat at was easily visible from the door yet still moderately secluded. Try as she might, she couldn't stop herself from looking up each time the door opened as someone entered. Ten minutes late and she was trying her best to not be disappointed. When she was just about to give up hope, a familiar figure stepped inside and instantly spotted her. Suddnely, she felt ridiculous for ever doubting him to begin with.

No pleasantries were exchanged. Neither were the type to do so. Instead, they simply stared across the table at each other. Sherlock waiting for Anthea to speak; Anthea trying to figure out how to word what she wanted to say. In an effort to stall, she called the waitress over and ordered them tea and biscuits. But she knew the distraction wasn't going to last long. No, she would have to speak up or he would get bored and leave.

“You're not as bad as people think,” she blurted out, not really sure what she was supposed to mean by this.

“Is this how my brother thinks he'll get me to comply? Using you to appeal to my better nature?” he asked with an almost amused expression.

Anthea let out a sigh, “Your brother is unaware that I asked you to meet with me. In fact, I'm almost certain that he would be upset with me for doing so without it being work related.”

That certainly seemed to shut him up. Knowing better than to give him too much time to answer, she jumped right back in on what she was saying.

“For years, I have watched the two of you argue and bicker. I've hit a point where I am not even sure who instigates it anymore. But I do know that Mycroft does not give you enough credit where it is due. He seems to think you are incapable of emotions. In all the time I have spent watching over you at his request I see how wrong he is.”

For a moment, Sherlock just looked at her. “You don't mean to tell me that you've become curious about me on a personal level?” he asked with a scoff.

She was thankful that the tea arrived at that very moment. Busying herself with fixing her cup to her liking, she had the time to properly word her reply. Hands wrapped around the heated ceramic, she took a long sip; eyes never once leaving Sherlock's face. Once her mug was back on the table, she gave a small shrug.

“What I am saying is that I would like to get to know you. Not the man in the papers, certainly not the one that comes in to the office by force. But the real Sherlock Holmes, the one very few get the chance of seeing,” she mumbled.

“That would involve honesty on _both_ parts.” With that, he was up and headig towards the door.

It didn't go as bad as she expected, but not as good as she was hoping either. But it seemed promising enough. He didn't seem too put off by the idea. She wouldn't be surprised if he turned it into some sort of experiment. For once, she wouldn't mind too much.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry that it took me this long to update. Life sort of got hectic for me.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not really sure if I will have a set updating schedule since I can't exactly promise to write in a specified time frame due to work and other things.


End file.
